Sacramento -- Christopher Lee was a man. He lived as a man, his driver's license and other documents said he was a man. But, when the co-founder of the San Francisco Transgender Film Festival committed suicide in 2012, his grief-stricken friends were dismayed to learn his death certificate listed him by his anatomical gender, a woman.

"We were told the coroner bases it entirely on genitalia," said Chino Scott-Chung, Lee's best friend and co-executor of his estate. "I was shocked. I told them he was a man and lived his life as a man and there was documentation. They said there was nothing they could do about it."

Transgender advocates are hoping a bill sailing through the California Legislature will ensure funeral directors and coroners take more than anatomy into consideration when determining what gender to list for transgender people.

"We're calling this the Respect After Death Act," said Sasha Buchert, staff attorney for the Transgender Law Center. "Too often, when folks have passed who identify as transgender, their gender identity markers are often mislabeled on death certificates. That has real consequences on the memory of that individual."

Whereas there used to be a handful of lawmakers willing to carry bills addressing lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender issues in past years, advocates say there is no shortage now. And increasingly, the once fiercely vocal opposition to those bills has begun to quiet.

Bipartisan support

The bill inspired by Lee received bipartisan support, with eight of the 24 Assembly Republicans voting for AB1577, although five Republicans voted against it and 11 GOP lawmakers chose to abstain when the bill cleared the state Assembly in May in a 62-5 vote. The bill is now in the Senate.

"I think that reflects a growing acceptance and growing movement for equality," said Alice Kessler, legislative director for Equality California. "We are seeing more bipartisanship than in the past. Every year there seems to be more Republicans supporting LGBT-related legislation, and I think that reflects progress in the movement for LGBT equality."

Bills moving through the Legislature this year include one by Assemblyman Jimmy Gomez, D-Los Angeles, that would give more flexibility on birth certificates by allowing same-sex couples to choose whether they are the "father," "mother" or "parent." Gov. Jerry Brown signed a bill Monday by Sen. Mark Leno, D-San Francisco, that will redefine marriage in California statutory laws by replacing "husband" and "wife" with gender-neutral language.

A bill by Assemblywoman Susan Bonilla, D-Concord, would eliminate the "panic defense," in which charges against a defendant can be reduced from murder to manslaughter if he or she claims to have been surprised by the discovery of a victim's sexual orientation or gender identity. Bonilla said AB2501 rightfully bans a defense that uses homophobia as a reason to reduce charges.

Influential caucus

Last year, Brown signed into law a controversial bill by Assemblyman Tom Ammiano, D-San Francisco, allowing transgender students to use the bathroom and join the sports teams or clubs corresponding to their gender identity.

Lawmakers also passed a law last year that makes it easier for transgender people to change their gender and name on their birth certificate. Last week, a crucial part of that law became effective, removing requirements for a person to appear in court to request a name change and publish that name change in a local newspaper.

Assembly Speaker Toni Atkins, D-San Diego, wrote the birth certificate law and is now carrying the death certificate bill. Atkins is the first openly lesbian woman to lead the Assembly and is part of the increasingly influential LGBT caucus in the Legislature that includes former Assembly Speaker John Pérez, Ammiano and Leno.

"In the early days, we tried to change basic laws like you could be fired for being LGBT or denied housing for being LGBT," Kessler said. "Now we are seeing that it's a growing movement that many members of the Legislature want to be part of. ... It seems to be a steady stream of things we find, which isn't surprising to me when you look at the years of discrimination faced by this community. You never declare victory and go away."

Saluting friend's legacy

Kessler said Equality California is still pushing for a bill that would strip the tax-exempt status from youth organizations such as the Boy Scouts if they have policies that bar gay people from participating. Efforts are under way to revive the bill, SB323 by state Sen. Ricardo Lara, D-Bell Gardens (Los Angeles County), which passed the Senate last year and would need to clear only the Assembly to make it to the governor's desk.

For Lee's friends, the death certificate changes are a way to honor the memory of the filmmaker and former grand marshal of the San Francisco Pride Parade. Scott-Chung said Lee was incredibly open about who he was. Even two years after his death, Scott-Chung chokes back tears as he remembers Lee, who once stayed up all night to rebuild Scott-Chung's front porch as a 50th birthday present. Now, Scott-Chung is hoping to have the bill on Brown's desk in September, when Lee would have turned 50.

Changing minds

Scott-Chung said he has happily traveled to Sacramento for each stage of the death certificate bill to share Lee's story with lawmakers.

"When I testified, I could see so many of them looking at me and nodding their heads and looking interested and compassionate," said Scott-Chung, a retired San Francisco firefighter. "They looked like they get it. That's an amazing thing. The fact that most people have voted for it tells me how the transgender movement here is growing. People's minds and hearts are changing. It makes me emotional."